In conventional multimedia systems, such as gaming consoles, the numerous options to which data can be saved and retrieved presents problems for developers. In particular, because of the differences in the latency and persistency of storage devices, developers often have to implement different processes (and sometimes different user interfaces) to access different storage devices. This creates a confusing and inconsistent user experience.
In addition to the above, as storage devices are added and removed from the system, it is difficult to notify applications and users of the existence or non-existence of storage devices. Further, conventional multimedia systems do not have provisions to add storage devices that may be developed in the future. Therefore, new storage options cannot be added, which may prevent users from storing and retrieving data from preferred locations.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method for providing a consistent user experience when saving and reading data to and from different storage devices. There is also a need for a system for determining the presence of storage devices and for determining an estimated time to save data based on the specifics of the storage device. The present invention provides such a solution.